Amazon Rival Bookshop.org Partners with Kobo: E-book Market is Changing

23:21 / 06.07.2026·25·Technology

Bookshop.org, considered one of Amazon's main competitors in the e-book market, announced that it will introduce support for Kobo e-reader devices, owned by Rakuten, by the end of this year. This is expected news for readers who want to support independent bookstores but prefer digital formats over paper books. This was reported by Techcrunch.com news reports.

For a long time, the process of purchasing books from independent stores on Kobo devices relied on outdated methods and complex technical steps. Many users reported difficulties when buying e-books from their favorite local stores. The new integration between Bookshop.org and Kobo is aimed specifically at solving this problem.

Delays are behind them

Initially, this partnership was planned for 2025, but the deadlines were later moved to 2026. At the beginning of this year, there were even concerns that the project had been suspended indefinitely. However, Bookshop.org founder and CEO Andy Hunter confirmed that the situation has changed for the better. According to him, the parties have reached an agreement on business terms and Digital Rights Management (DRM) issues.

Hunter noted in an interview with ixbt.com that the delays were caused by a lack of engineering resources and strict requirements from publishers regarding digital rights management. Currently, all technical barriers are being removed, and the system is intended to be launched by the end of this year.

Advantages of E-readers

Why do users prefer devices like Kobo over iOS or Android apps? There are several reasons:

E-ink technology does not tire the eyes and allows reading even under sunlight;
The device's battery lasts for several weeks;
An interface focused solely on reading does not distract the user.

Bookshop.org currently sells e-books through its mobile apps. However, integration with Kobo allows the platform to create a worthy alternative to the Amazon Kindle ecosystem. This is also important for developing markets like Uzbekistan, as the expansion of international platforms provides local readers with a wider range of choices.

In conclusion, the partnership between Bookshop.org and Kobo is not only a technological innovation but also an important step for small and independent bookstores to survive in the digital age. Now readers can use modern technology while contributing to the revenue of stores in their region.